Thailand Abhors a Vacuum

Addressing a gathering of judges recently, Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej aptly summed up his country's political deadlock: "It's a mess." After a Thai court annulled the disputed April 2 election two weeks ago, Thailand's Election Commission called for new polls in October. But infighting between the courts and election commissioners could push back the vote further, and the next government will likely amend the constitution to ensure such a crisis never happens again—prompting yet another election. In the end, it could be a year or longer before Thailand gets back to business as usual.